Beit Iba, Shave Shomron, Mon 8.9.08, Morning

07.35 On the way to Beit Iba we drive up
to Shavei Shomron. The road is open with very little traffic. A soldier takes
a look at us from the entrance to the army base.

07.40 We arrive at Beit Iba which is
quiet. The kiosks are shut due to Ramadan and there is little traffic exiting Nablus. A line of
lorries, taxis and buses stands in the opposite direction. The traffic seems
to be moving quickly. One taxi driver is turned back from the c/p as he does
not have the necessary documents.

There is little or no checking of
pedestrians entering Nablus.
This, according to the DCL, is due to the fact that anyone can cross via Shavei
Shomron without going through the c/p.

We notice a soldier standing at the c/p
eating a yoghourt, which is in extremely bad taste since all the pedestrians
are fasting. We point this out to the DCL who mentions it to the soldier.

We leave shortly after.

Why update during Corona Days?

Israel is the ruler of the West Bank. By force of the Geneva Convention, clause 27, it is obliged to enforce law and order in the occupied territories. Therefore, inhabitants there are entitled “to respect of their body, their dignity, and especially protected against any kind of violence”. But this is not the way reality works. The Israeli army and the Jewish settler/colonists harm Palestinians body, soul and property daily, and the Israeli authorities do nothing to stop this brutality. Israeli mass media too have shown moral bankruptcy and have long avoided reporting the real situation taking place throughout the West Bank. Thus, the Israeli public is not aware (or perhaps does not want to know) of the ongoing harassment of the occupied Palestinian population. Now, in times of Corona, the last brakes have been loosened. The settler-colonists are wreaking havoc, and with the support of the Israeli army. Palestinians are harmed, properties are destroyed. Not many people care about what is happening in our ‘backyard’.
We, of Machsomwatch, will not comply with this situation nor collaborate with is.
We shall go on reporting on the goings-on in the Occupied Territories, in the villages and encampments, so that people will not say “We didn’t know, we didn’t hear…” when the time comes.

Location Description

Shave Shomron

The checkpoint is on Route 60 (the main road to the northern West Bank), opposite settlement. Has been blocked to Palestinians since disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria.

Beit Iba

West of Nablus and southeast of Shave Shomron settlement, between villages of Beit Iba and Deir Sharaf, has operated since 2001. One of three permanent checkpoints that close off the city (in addition to Beit Furik to the east and Huwwara in the south).
Since March 2009 there is no presence of Israeli security forces at the checkpoint and passage is free for Palestinian.